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SEIA is the solar energy industry’s go-to source for the latest coverage on solar power, including U.S. and international policy, research and polls, business and financing trends, and more. Our staff strives to support the media covering solar energy issues and guide our members on effective media outreach with clear statements, background materials, news and multimedia resources.

SEIA is committed to informing policymakers, the media, and the American public about the benefits of solar energy for today’s communities, our economy, and our country.

Every week, The SEIA Solar Update includes top news stories covering the solar industry, major upcoming events, policy updates, and much more. This newsletter is open to SEIA Members and to the general public.

SunPower has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with NV Energy to build the 100 MW Boulder Solar photovoltaic power plant planned for construction in the Eldorado Valley of Boulder City, Nev.

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In a precedent-setting decision, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the constitutionality of Colorado’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS), ruling that the state’s RPS does not impose unlawful regulations on out-of-state companies.

Calling it a “win-win” that will benefit both the economy and environment, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has announced its strong support for HR 3001 – legislation introduced in Congress by Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) that will allow the General Services Administration (GSA) to enter into 30-year renewable energy power purchase agreements (PPA). The GSA is an independent agency which manages and supports the basic functioning of the federal government, including procurement. Under current law, only the U.S. military can enter into power purchase agreements for longer than 10 years. Earlier this year, Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) introduced similar legislation.

As a way to quickly access extensive research on the value of solar and renewable energy – from economic and environmental benefits to both consumers and businesses, to grid efficiencies and savings – the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has created a new resources page on its website.

If approved and signed into law by Gov. Chris Christie, bipartisan legislation approved this week by the New Jersey Legislature will help to keep New Jersey solar installations on track for 2015. The state is projected to add nearly 300 megawatts (MW) of new installed solar capacity, according to the recently released U.S. Solar Market Insight Report compiled by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

With its new, forward-looking Solar Power Free Market Financing Act set to become law on July 1, Georgia is expected to have its best year ever for new solar installations in 2015, according to the recently released U.S. Solar Market Insight Report compiled by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

Every week, The SEIA Solar Update includes top news stories covering the solar industry, major upcoming events, policy updates, and much more. This newsletter is open to SEIA Members and to the general public.

SunPower has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with NV Energy to build the 100 MW Boulder Solar photovoltaic power plant planned for construction in the Eldorado Valley of Boulder City, Nev.

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Cutting costs has been the key to solar’s rapid expansion this decade. The lion’s share of cost reductions in the solar industry has come from reductions in module prices. The $4 per watt you’d have paid in 2006 for modules alone gets you the entire residential solar system installed today.

With more than 8,000 companies now operating nationwide, solar energy has become one of the fastest-growing industries in America — thanks, in large part, to remarkable growth on both the West and East coasts. California, as expected, continues to lead the way with nearly 10 gigawatts (GW) of installed solar capacity, but on the other side of the country, five Eastern states — New Jersey, North Carolina, Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut — are now closing in on a total of 4 GW of installed capacity.

For states looking to meet new obligations under the EPA’s Clean Power Plan, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) have jointly published a handbook detailing how to incorporate renewable energy into state plans to cut carbon emissions from existing power plants.

In the critically-acclaimed movie, All the President’s Men, a shadowy, raspy-voiced character named Deep Throat advises Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein to “follow the money” in the wake of the Watergate break-in and cover-up. That was more than 40 years ago. Yet, in the bare knuckles, take-no-prisoners world of Washington politics, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Someone once said, “the life you live is the lesson you teach.” Well, there isn’t a better example of that than the historic “we’re all in” commitment made in 2002 by California to secure a clean energy future.

Today’s new economy is driven by industries that are characterized by cutting-edge technology and high growth. Sound familiar? Well, it should.

Remarkably, America’s solar energy industry, which continues to grow at a very brisk pace, now has more employees than tech giants Apple, Google, Facebook and Twitter combined. And to top it all off, 2014 turned out to be another record-shattering year!

Is it politics at play? Or simply a case of sloppy drafting? Whichever the case, West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has a tough choice to make in the next few days. Legislation now on his desk, HB 2201, could jeopardize the future of rooftop solar in the state by rewriting West Virginia’s net-metering policies. Regardless of the motives of the bill’s authors, pure or clandestine, we strongly urge Gov. Tomblin to do the right thing – veto the bill and start over.

Mark Twain said it best, there are “lies, damned lies and statistics.” It’s hard to tell which is which after closely reviewing the latest hatchet job on solar energy by the Koch brothers’ front group, The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA).

In a new report, the Department of Energy (DOE) has highlighted the success of the Loan Programs Office’s solar projects, saying that since it financed its first five utility-scale projects in 2011, 17 additional projects have come on line without the use of loan guarantees. The report coincides with today’s dedication ceremony of Desert Sunlight, a 550-megawatt (MW) solar project in Riverside County, California.

Recently, I met with several Senators and other legislators to discuss the solar industry. The vast majority of them do not know that there is strong bipartisan support for solar. In the run-up to 2017, it is vital that every legislator knows people of all political persuasions support solar.